Just as the Olympics in London kicked into high gear, the annual World Cosplay Championships came to a close on August 5. The event, which drew participants from twenty countries, duke it out in colorful outfits for the title of cosplay champ.

Held every year in Nagoya, 2012 saw new countries, such as the UK, Indonesia, and Russia, participating for the first time. Last year, the big winner was Brazil. This year, team Japan took the top title. You can see the winning outfits in the gallery above (the TV France Japan pic).

The event has come a long way since its inception in 2003. That year only four countries competed: Italy, Germany, France, and Japan.

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The World Cosplay Championships isn't just people dressing up and posing—rather, there is a big stage event in which competitors are judged on their presentation as well as their outfits.

In the above gallery, have a look at photos from the procession, complete with a country sign carrying Chun-Li and Gundam outfits. If only the London Olympics had that!